SA80 (Small Arms for 1980s) is the designation for a revolutionary family of assault weapons. On its introduction, the L85 Individual Weapon (IW) proved so accurate that the Army marksmanship tests had to be redesigned. The British Army uses the L85 Individual Weapon that replaced the rifle and sub-machine gun, and the L86 Light Support Weapon (LSW) that produces higher volumes of fire and is effective at longer ranges. An infantry section consists of two four-man fire teams armed with SA80s: three IWs and one LSW.
Both weapons have been modified in light of operational experience, and had a major mid-life update in 2002, which resulted in the SA80A2 series – the most reliable weapons of their type in the world.
One new Under slung Grenade Launcher (UGL), designed to be mounted beneath the barrel of the IW, will be issued to each fire team, replacing the Rifle Grenade General Service (RGGS) and 51mm mortar – significantly reducing the ammunition load the infantry section carries, while enhancing its capabilities. The UGL will be able to fire 40mm High Explosive (HE), smoke and illuminating rounds out to a range of 350 m to destroy, obscure or indicate enemy positions.
The rifle’s history dates back to the late 1940s, when an ambitious programme to develop a new cartridge and new class of rifle was launched in the United Kingdom based on combat experience drawn from World War II. Two 7 mm prototypes were built in a “bullpup” configuration, designated the EM-1 and EM-2. When NATO adopted the 7.62×51mm rifle cartridge as the standard caliber for its service rifles, further development of these rifles was discontinued (the British Army chose to adopt the 7.62 mm L1A1 SLR automatic rifle, which is a license-built version of the Belgian FN-FAL).
In 1969 the Enfield factory began work on a brand new family of weapons, chambered in a newly designed British 4.85×49mm intermediate cartridge. The system was to be composed of two weapons: an individual weapon, the XL64E5 rifle and a light support weapon known as the XL65E4 light machine gun. Both designs were based on the 5.56 mm AR-18 assault rifle, which was manufactured in Britain by Sterling Armament Company.
In 1976 the prototypes were ready to be trialled, however after NATO’s decision to standardize ammunition among its members, Enfield engineers re-chambered the rifles to the American 5.56×45mm M193 cartridge. The newly redesigned 5.56 mm version of the XL64E5 became the XL70E3. The left-handed XL68 was also re-chambered in 5.56×45mm as the XL78. The 5.56mm Light Support Weapon variant, the XL73E3, developed from the XL65E4, was noted for the full length receiver extension with the bipod under the muzzle now indicative of the type. In this configuration both weapons underwent a series of evaluations, with a small batch of pre-production weapons being used by British soldiers during the Falklands conflict.
Further development out of the initial so-called “Phase A” pre-production prototypes led to the XL85 and XL86. While the XL85E1 and XL86E1 were ultimately adopted as the L85 and L86 respectively, a number of additional test models were produced. The XL85E2 and XL86E2 were designed to an alternate build standard with 12 components different from E1 variants, including parts of the gas system, bolt, and magazine catch. Three series of variants were created for “Environmental User Trials.” XL85E3 and XL86E3 variants were developed with 24 modified parts, most notably a plastic safety plunger. The E4’s had 21 modified parts, no modification to the pistol grip, and an aluminium safety plunger, unlike the E3 variants. Lastly, the E5 variants had 9 modified parts in addition to those from the E3/E4 variants.
After receiving feedback from users, addressing concerns and incorporating the several design changes noted, including adopting the rifle for use with the heavier Belgian SS109 version of the 5.56×45mm cartridge and improving reliability, the rifle was accepted into service with the British Army in 1985, designated the SA80 (Small Arms for the 1980s). The SA80 family consists of the L85A1 IW (Individual Weapon) and the L86A1 LSW (Light Support Weapon).
In 1994 production was officially completed. Over 350,000 L85A1 rifles and L86A1 light machine guns had been manufactured for the United Kingdom. They are also in use with the armed forces of Jamaica.
Original SA80 weapons (both L85 and L86) were plagued with many problems, some being very serious. In general, L85 was quite unreliable and troublesome to handle and maintain, so, finally, in the year 1997, after years of constant complaints from the troops, it had been decided to upgrade most L85 rifles then in service.
The upgrade program, committed in years 2000-2002, was completed by the famous Heckler and Koch, which was then owned by British Royal Ordnance company (German investors bought the HK back in the 2002). About 200 000 rifles were upgraded into the L85A2 configuration, out of total 320 000 or so original L85A1 rifles produced. While official reports about the upgraded weapons were glowing, the initial field reports from the British troops, engaged in the Afghanistan campaign of 2002, were unsatisfactory. Most problems, however, were traced to improper care and maintenance of weapons, and for now the L82A2 performs fairy well both in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Other than the basic L85A1 variant, the SA80 IW also appeared in the shortened Carbine version, and in the manually operated L98A1 rifle, which got its gas system removed and a larger cocking handle attached. The L98A1 is used to train the army cadets for basic rifle handling and shooting skills, and the rifle is fired as a manually operated, straight pull magazine repeater rifle. The latest weapon in the SA80 family is the recently adopted L22 carbine, which is issued to tank crews of Royal Armoured Corps. This weapon is available in two versions, L82A1 and L82A2, the latter being fitted with additional Picatinny rail on the right side of front grip base.
Description and Specifications
The L85 (SA80) is a gas operated, magazine fed, selective fire rifle of bullpup layout. The receiver of the L85 is made from stamped sheet steel, reinforced with welded and riveted machined steel inserts. The gas operated action has a short stroke gas piston, located above the barrel. The gas piston has its own return spring. Gas system has a three-positions gas regulator, one position for a normal firing, second for a firing in adverse conditions and the third for launching the rifle grenades (gas port is shut off). The machined bolt carrier rides inside the receiver on the two parallel steel guide rods, with the single return spring placed above and between the guide rods. The typical rotating bolt has 7 lugs that locks into the steel insert in the receiver, just behind the barrel breech. The charging handle is attached to the right side of the bolt carrier, and prior to A2 upgrade caused some problems by reflecting the ejected cases back into the action, thus causing stoppages. In the L85A2 configuration the charging handle was redesigned to avoid such problems. The charging handle slot is covered by the spring-loaded dust cover. The bolt and its extractor claw also were upgraded in the L85A2, to achieve more reliable extraction of the spent cases.
The trigger-hammer assembly of the L85A1 is also typical for a modern bullpup rifle, with the long link from the trigger to the hammer unit, located in the buttstock. The hammer assembly of the L85A2 was redesigned to introduce a slight delay before the hammer release when the gun is fired in the full auto. This did not affected the cyclic rate of fire but improved the reliability and stability of the weapon during the automatic fire. The fire mode selector is located at the left side of the receiver, well behind the magazine housing, and allows for single shots of full automatic modes of fire. The cross-bolt safety button is located above the trigger.
The barrel is rifled for a NATO-standard 5.56 mm ammunition, with 1:7 twist, and is fitted with a NATO-standard flash hider, which allows to launch the rifle grenades from the barrel.
The L85 is fed using NATO-standard (STANAG) magazines, similar to M16 type magazines, with the standard capacity of 30 rounds. Early L85A1 steel magazines caused a lot of troubles, as well as a magazine housing itself, which had a thin walls that could be easily dented, thus blocking the magazine way. Both magazines and its housings were upgraded in the L85A2 configuration.
The standard sighting equipment is the 4x SUSAT (Sight Unit, Small Arms, Trilux) telescope, with illuminated reticle. The SUSAT is mounted on a quick-detachable mount at the top of the receiver, and features an emergency backup open sights at tits top. The SUSAT allows for an accurate fire (mostly in single shots) out to 400-500 meters. For a second-line troops an alternative sighting system is available, that consists of the removable front post sight with high base and post protection “ears”, and a detachable carrying handle with built-in diopter rear sight.
The L85 can be fitted with the proprietary knife-type multipurpose bayonet. L85A2 rifles also can be fitted with 40mm under-barrel grenade launcher, using special handguard. Launcher is made in Germany by Heckler and Koch.
* Caliber: .223 Rem / 5.56 mm
* Cartridge: 5.56×45 mm NATO
* Weight: 4.7 kg empty / 4.98 kg (with loaded magazine and optical sight)
* Effective range: 400 m
* In service: 1985 – present
Design
The SA80 was unusual for the time in being a bullpup design, i.e. the action and magazine are behind the pistol grip. This had been favoured by the British since the late 1940s, and featured in the 7mm EM-2 rifle (which is probably the most famous military rifle never to see service). This preference initially resulted from a desire to select a cartridge which combined a good long-range performance (so it could replace the .303" in rifles and MGs) with a light enough recoil for fully-automatic fire from the shoulder (so it could replace the 9mm SMGs). To achieve the latter aim, the rifle had also to be very compact, which led to the bullpup layout.
In the years since the EM-2 design, the importance of compactness had become all the greater since infantry were increasingly being carried in armoured vehicles and even helicopters, in which space was short. So the bullpup layout was retained in the SA80.
To give an idea of the benefits of the bullpup, the L85A1 with a 20.4" (518mm) barrel is 30.9" (785mm) long, whereas the M16A2 with its 20" (508mm) barrel is 39.6" (1,006mm) overall. The short-barrelled M4 carbine version of the M16 is 33" (840mm) overall, or 760mm (29.9") with the telescoping butt collapsed, but to achieve this means shortening the barrel to 14.5" (368mm). In other words, the M16 can only match the L85A1 in length by losing six inches (150mm) from its barrel and having its stock collapsed. To give another comparison, the L86A1 LSW has a 25.4" (646mm) barrel but is considerably shorter than the M16A2 at only 35.4" (900mm) overall.
The SA80 is of course not the only bullpup 5.56mm rifle around. The futuristic Steyr AUG and the French FAMAS both use this layout, as do other recent military rifle designs in this calibre, perhaps most notably the FN F2000 and the IWI Tavor which has been adopted by both the Israeli Army and Indian special forces. Apart from the American weapons (which all consist of variations on the M16 theme) the only significant new Western non-bullpups in recent years are the Heckler & Koch (HK) G36 and 416, and the FN SCAR.
The main criticisms of bullpups are that they tend not to feel as well-balanced in the hands as conventional rifles (although to some extent that is a matter of what you are used to), and they are not suited to left-handed shooting as the spent cases are normally ejected to the side, which in a bullpup means into the left-handed firer's face. Some, like the AUG, can be easily converted for left-handers, but that isn't much use if the user merely wishes to switch to left-hand firing for a few seconds when firing to the right around the corner of a building, for instance. The only bullpup to solve this completely (apart from the caseless HK G11) is the new FN F2000, which ejects the cases forwards and downwards so is suitable for either hand without modification. The SA80 was reportedly offered with a left-hand conversion kit, but in British Army service is strictly right-handed only.
The mechanicals of the SA80 were derived from the AR18, an American design which was intended as a lower-cost rival to the M16 but never adopted by a major army. In theory, putting the AR18 mechanism into a bullpup layout was a simple and risk-free task. However, that proved not to be the case.
Performance
The SA80 was the last weapon developed at the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield. It experienced considerable development problems despite a trials programme which lasted years; some tests were repeated over and over. One problem was the constant change in project staff, at least three changes occurred during the development period. This seemed to result in some of the repetition of the testing. Ejection was always a problem; the angle of the ejected case varied considerably as the gun heated up and the rate of fire changed, which is why the ejection opening is so big (one reason why it had so many problems with sand). The conversion from 4.85 to 5.56 also caused a complication, the rate of fire dropped dramatically as the gas port was left in the same position but the pressure/time curve of the rounds were different, so the gas ports had to be enlarged considerably. This was less marked on the LSW due to the longer barrel. The situation was made worse by the insistence of Radway Green producing 5.56 using chopped tube rather than ball powder. The chopped tube gave a lower port pressure and rate-of-fire. The 'girder' under the LSW barrel came about as the Army wished to fire two round bursts from it. With the original bipod which was attached to the gas block one round went high right and the second low left. Firing a succession of double taps gave two distinct groups and the additional ironware and the muzzle mounted bipod was the final solution..
Although adopted for service, problems soon began to surface: To quote Ian Hogg (Military Small Arms of the 20th Century) writing in 1990:
"…the first five years of this rifle's service have been disastrous. A number of manufacturing defects showed up in service conditions, and it was not until the closure of the RSAF at Enfield and the setting up of an entirely new production line, with new computer-controlled machine tools, at the new RSAF Nottingham, that the quality of the production weapons began to improve. It will take some time for the poor reputation gained by the initial issue weapons to be overcome; the only consolation is that the same sort of thing has happened to other military rifles in the past, and they have managed to live down their early reputation and prove their innate reliability. It is to be hoped that the L85A1 will do so as well."
It was not to be. Only a year later, the SA80 went to war in the Gulf, and the results were appalling. Of course, dirt is the enemy of any automatic weapon, and there is plenty of it in terms of sand and dust in the Gulf. The L85A1 proved seriously unreliable in semi-auto mode (a bit better in full-auto) whereas the L86 ironically performed the other way round. For the first time, the SA80's problems went beyond the military and into the public arena. Every man in the street learned that the British Army had a dangerously inadequate weapon; the popular press were demanding change.
Apart from the reliability issue, other complaints raised about the SA80 were:
- the plastic furniture was of poor quality and often fell apart. The gun was generally not robust and was too easily damaged;
- the magazine release catch was easily knocked accidentally, dropping the magazine on the ground (a protective housing was subsequently glued around it);
- the catch on the housing over the gas mechanism was far too weak, constantly popping open, and was routinely taped down;
- the magazine springs were very weak and could only be loaded with 26-28 rounds. The magazines also had to be kept very clean and the lips checked for any dents;
- the LSW couldn't provide effective suppressive fire due to its small-capacity magazine and the tendency of the barrel to overheat (after about 120-150 rounds, fired in short bursts);
- the weapon was difficult to strip and reassemble, containing many fiddly parts (especially in the bolt-carrier assembly). The gas plug, which needed to be removed for cleaning, would easily jam in place and then required an armourer's drill to remove;
- there were some ergonomic problems, e.g. the safety catch has to be operated by the trigger finger rather than the thumb, and to cock the weapon it is necessary to reach over to the right side of the rifle with your left hand. The location and stiffness of the fire selector switch has also been criticised. To be fair, these issues don't seem to be considered major problems by most users.
After various attempts at denial, and years of applying minor fixes that eased some problems but failed to solve the big ones, the Ministry of Defence bowed to the inevitable in 1997. They considered buying the M16 and M4 "off the shelf", but in the end commissioned HK to undertake a thorough revamp of the SA80 (HK was by this time owned by Royal Ordnance, so was in effect a British company - it has since been returned to German control). The changes were expensive (£92m - about 145 million dollars/euros) and comprehensive, as follows:
- internal machining to clear feed and extraction paths
- new breech block and bolt
- new extractor and ejector with spring
- new recoil springs
- new firing pin
- new cocking handle
- entirely new magazine made from pressed steel
- new gas plug and cylinder
- new hammer
- new barrel extension
- new barrel (LSW only).
Some 200,000 weapons were converted to the A2 specification between 2000-2002. The MRBF (Mean Rounds Between Failure) test scores achieved by the L85A2 in a variety of environments averaged 25,000, although dropping to just under 8,000 in the hot and dry conditions of Kuwait. The L86A2 was subjected to a tougher test and achieved a much lower overall average (just under 13,000) but performed slightly better than the L85A2 in Kuwait. Much confidence was publicly expressed that the problems had been resolved and the British Army now had a rifle to be proud of.
THE ARMED FORCES MINISTER ANNOUNCES THE SA80 A2’s RELIABILITY
The Armed Forces Minister, The Right Honourable Adam Ingram, today announced the results of the exhaustive SA80 A2 modification trials programme. As a result of the modifications the A2 is one of, if not the most reliable 5.56mm rifle in the world.
Both variants of the SA80 A2, the Individual Weapon (IW) and the Light Support Weapon (LSW) were subjected to a series of gruelling tests during which over 3 million rounds were fired. The trials were conducted in four phases and were designed to test the A2’s reliability in a range of challenging climatic conditions.
The tests set by the MOD are the toughest reliability criteria imposed by any nation. On average, across all of the trials, the IW fired an average of 25,200 rounds before it failed a test, known as a battlefield mission*. The LSW, which has a much tougher mission requirement, fired an average of 12,897 rounds before it too failed. This compares very favourably to all of the small arms in its class** and exceeds the expected service life of the A2 (10,000 rounds, after which it is refurbished). It is, therefore, possible for an A2 to suffer no failures during its service life.
The A2 will be issued on a phased basis from December 2001. Although the unmodified SA80 is a capable weapon the modification programme can be brought forward, if there is an operational requirement to do so. There are currently around 10,000 modified weapons in stock.
The modification programme will cost around £92 million, including the cost of spares, trials etc. Around 200,000 weapons will be modified.
The Armed Forces Minister, The Right Honourable Adam Ingram said “The trials were designed to push the weapons to the very limit of their endurance. I’m delighted to say that the SA80 A2 passed with flying colours. It is more than capable of the task that we have given it and it will equip our armed forces until a new small arm is introduced in around 2015.”
Major Andrew MacDonald (Princess of Wales Royal Regiment (PWRR)), the head of the trials team said “I’m convinced that the SA80 A2 is the best 5.56mm rifle in the world, if there is a better one I haven’t seen it yet.” He added, “If I was going to go to war tomorrow I couldn’t think of a more reliable and accurate weapon to take with me than the A2. It would certainly be my weapon of choice.”
Flight Lieutenant Ian Caesar (RAF Regiment) added “I was in Brunei for the tests where I was impressed to the point of boredom. Whenever there was a stoppage, which was very rare, people woke up and came running to have a look. The reliability of this weapon has been hugely improved”.
A.B.Bowers countfoxford@hotmail.com
